CIS Teams with "Teeth Fairies"

New Partnership Combats Dental Disease – A Surprising Cause of Chronic School Absences

Arlington, Va.- Jan. 15, 2015 - The TEETH FAIRIES company is teaming up with the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization to keep more kids healthy and in school.

TEETH FAIRIES is donating proceeds from a new dental health doll and book set to Communities In Schools (CIS) to help prevent and fight the type of serious dental disease that can cause kids to miss school and potentially drop out.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than one-quarter of children have tooth decay in their baby teeth before entering kindergarten and an estimated 18 million children lack access to oral health services. Untreated dental disease in kids can lead to chronic pain, poor appearance, decreased self-esteem and absence from school.

Communities In Schools Executive Vice President Matt Heller said the TEETH FAIRIES partnership will help CIS bring smiles to millions of kids - something the organization has successfully done for students like Cheyenne.

“Painful teeth and a broken smile kept Cheyenne from coming to school until a Communities In Schools site coordinator connected her to dental services,” said Heller. “Today, she’s a successful college student with a bright smile and a brighter future. We are grateful to TEETH FAIRIES for giving us the support to help kids like her stay healthy and in school.”

Cheyenne’s story is featured on the CIS website and in a national branding campaign designed to raise awareness of the obstacles some students face.

“Teaming up with Communities In Schools was a natural fit,” says TEETH FAIRIES author Ingrid Bencosme. “When you purchase a Teeth Fairies set you’re also helping to make a difference in a child’s education and health. As a former teacher and mom it makes me very proud to support these efforts.”

The TEETH FAIRIES doll and book set provides a fun and educational way to teach children about dental health. The set allows kids to name their own tooth fairy and make tooth loss a personal, interactive experience. The goal is to encourage children to take care of their teeth, thereby helping parents to promote good dental hygiene.

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About TEETH FAIRIES

TEETH FAIRIES: A BABY TEETH TRADITION (February 20, 2015), by Ingrid Bencosme, is an interactive, educational book and doll set that celebrates the tooth loss process and encourages kids to care about their dental health. The TEETH FAIRIES book and doll set retails for $49.99 and is available in select children’s bookstores and online at Amazon.com and at www.teeth-fairies.com .

About Communities In Schools

Working directly in more than 2,300 schools in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools is the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization proven to keep students in school and on the path to graduation. For the 2015-2016 school year, Communities In Schools served nearly 1.5 million students and successfully helped 99 percent of our case-managed students stay in school.